Christmas Lights
by A Wandering Tiger
Summary: For cats, leaf-bare is a time for apprentices to discover snow, lights, and friendship. It's a special day for an apprentice when they see the bright colored lights that decorate the Twoleg nests for the first time.


**Just a little one-shot that I wrote for Christmas. Merry Christmas!**

**Enjoy :)  
**

Frostypaw hurried after the rest of the patrol, worried that they would leave her behind. She had recently received her apprentice name, but the older warriors still viewed her as a kit.

They had been apprentices once! Why did they act like that?

Frostypaw sighed, and tried her best to tunnel across the snow. Her paws sunk deep into the snow every time she took a step, and when she climbed out of the little crater, her paws slid across the icy substance.

The sun was quickly fading behind the mountains, and the moon was poking her head up from behind the trees. Stars were quickly appearing, and starting to twinkle in the otherwise dark blue sky. Frostypaw stopped walking, and gazed up at her warrior ancestors. One star was shining brighter then the rest. Cats always thought that that bright star was Wind, River, Shadow, or Thunder (usually depending on their home clan). They were mistaken. Frostypaw knew it was her mother. Her courage and spirit had always outshined the rest, even when she was still walking among her clanmates. Frostypaw loved her.

The rest of the patrol was meowing happily to each other. Every once and a while her mentor, Maplewhisker, would gesture her to their group. Each time Frostypaw would decline the invitation with a shake of her head. The night was peaceful, and it was the first in a while that she could silently think to herself. They soon approached the border between ThunderClan and the Twolegs. The snow was beautiful, but the clear area near the Twoleg border was a good path to take if your paws felt like ice.

This was weird. Her mentor had always warned her away from the Twoleg area. It was part of ThunderClan's territory, but they never patrolled near there. The Twolegs constantly sat there during the day, eating unappetizing prey or napping like they owned the territory. _Hah!_

This was _definitely _weird. They continued heading towards Twoleg nests! Frostypaw hoped that they wouldn't be crossing the wooden barriers that had been built by those strange creatures.

"Where are you going?" Frostypaw asked, trying to imply that she wouldn't set paw in the Twoleg den.

"Every leaf-bare, the Twolegs decorate their nests with fake stars," Maplewhisker meowed, "it's easiest to see when dark."

"Strange sorcery," Pinefrost added.

"What do you mean? Stars?" Frostypaw asked, confused. The only stars she knew of were her warrior ancestors, and Frostypaw didn't think that they would watch over a Twoleg nest.

"Now you've got the kit confused!" Stormfang said, a little harshly. Frostypaw bristled.

"You'll see," Maplewhisker reassured. When she turned, Frostypaw saw the senior warrior glare at Stormfang.

They approached a Twoleg den and sat down outside the barrier. Frostypaw was a little nervous, but the warriors were confident so she tried to keep up her appearance.

It was now dark, and Frostypaw couldn't endure her curiosity forever. "What is it? What are we waiting for?"

"Patience, patience. Just wait a little while, and have a little patience. Patience is important, you know. Did you mentor never teach it to you?" Pinefrost said. For someone who talked a lot, he didn't say much.

Frostypaw waited silently. She ignored Stormfang's scowl. She ignored Maplewhisker's amusement.

Suddenly there was a little buzzing sound, and Frostypaw squealed in excitement as those stars started to light up. Red! Green! Blue! Yellow! The fake stars were covering the Twoleg's den! They were beautiful! One made up a shape of some strange cube, while another was an outline of a strange sculpture made out of snow. The sculpture had two eyes, and two branches that stuck out on both sides of the snow structure. Strange. Three young Twolegs were jumping in excitement, and Frostypaw didn't even have the urge to run. Two older Twolegs put a little container of water on the ground, and then the five of them retreated back inside their den.

Wow.

"Are they… dangerous?" Frostypaw asked. These little stars of wonder were too good to be true.

"I don't know. This is the closest I've ever been to them. I don't think so, because the Twolegs aren't cautious of them," Maplewhisker resoned.

"The only danger in them is that they scare away prey!" Stormfang turned to go.

Frostypaw took one last look at the beautiful lights, then turned back to the dark forest. The snow and frost along the trees was pretty, but the little stars that decorated the Twoleg den were gorgeous!

Was that what the Moonstone looked like? Patterns of colors and light?

* * *

Frostyheart could barely hold her excitement as she ran back to the ThunderClan camp. The little stars were currently void of color or light, but Frostyheart knew that they would shine in the upcoming moonhigh. It had been moons sense her mentor, Maplewhisker, had shown her the colorful stars, and know it was time to give the gift to Redpaw. Redpaw had recently been apprenticed and was tackling her sister, Flamepaw, into the snow.

"Redpaw! Flamepaw!" Frostyheart called, "I want to show you something!"

That night Frostyheart watched Redpaw's face brighten with amazement at the colorful stars. Seasons ago, Maplewhisker had witnessed a similar experience with young Frostypaw.

The process of mentoring a young cat was wonderful. You spent seasons training. And then you spend seasons training your lucky apprentice. In the clans, the greatest gift ever given was the training that your mentor gave you. It was full of love, trust, similar goals, and a life saving friendship that would last forever.


End file.
